Westlake: Ramon Eduardo Araujo, 35

Ramon Eduardo Araujo, a 35-year-old Latino, died on Monday, Sept. 21, after he was shot in MacArthur Park in Westlake, according to Los Angeles County coroner's officials.

Los Angeles police are searching for two suspects, believed to be gang members, involved in the shooting, which left another man in critical condition.

The victims were sitting on the grass in the northwest corner of the park about 10:30 a.m. when they were approached by two men who began exchanging words with them, said LAPD Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz.

One of the suspects opened fire on Araujo, killing him. The same gunman fired multiple times at the second man, who was in critical condition at a local hospital, Diaz said.

The incident at MacArthur Park marked the first shooting there since January 2008 and the first fatal shooting at the park since August 2006, Diaz said.

Once considered a magnet for violence, drug dealing and other crimes, the park has undergone a revival in recent years as the LAPD beefed up patrols and city leaders invested in the site. Among the features of the revived park is a new soccer field that has been popular with Westlake District residents.

"Anytime we are talking about a crime in MacArthur Park, there's an added dimension," Diaz said. "It's pretty bold to do this in the day when there's lots of people around."

Diaz noted that there is an extensive network of cameras in and around the park, and he expects arrests will be made.

-- Andrew Blankstein and Anthony Pesce

Follow The Homicide Report on Twitter @latimeshomicide.

Map: The location where Ramon Eduardo Araujo was shot. Click for the Westlake Mapping L.A. page to learn more about the demographics of the neighborhood.

Comments

[jk]

It is time Hollywood and filmakers started undoing the mess they have made of society over the last 60 years glorifying violence. The list of homicides is deplorable in large part due to the indoctrination of youth by film and television. It is uncool to kill someone just because he is from another neighborhood. Nowadays violence and machismo are cast in stone in the minds of youth by the time they are 12 years old. Maybe it is time to test product liability against studios for the carnage they have created.